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Historic win for Yong

Historic Gold for Yong
Roundup of the final day of the 7th IAAF World Championships in Athletics
Nick Davies for IAAF

We are proud of saying that athletics is a truly
global sport, and offers unique opportunities for determined performers, whatever their
nationality or background. The result of the women's marathon this morning proved that
this is no hollow boast. Watched by millions of TV viewers world-wide, Song-Ok Yong beat a
top field, including Olympic and World Champions, to bring North Korea its first ever
medal at a major sporting event.

The race had been scheduled for an early
morning start to ensure it would be seen on prime time TV in Japan, such is the passion
for the marathon in that country. And in the absence of the defending world champion
Hiromi Suzuki, the unsung Ari Ichihashi proved to be Japan's star. For the first half of
the race, the pace was respectable with 10k covered in 35:26 and 20k in 1:10:34. Among the
16 athletes in the lead group were 1996 Olympic champion Fatuma Roba, the 1995 world
champion Manuela Machado, the Romanians Lidia Simon and Anuta Catuna, and China's Sun
Yingjie whose habit of running with her arms dangling by her sides, made her easy to spot.

The first real break came at around the 28
km point when Yingjie and Roba picked up speed. Only Ichihashi, Simon and Yong could cope
with the pace. Shortly afterwards, Roba began to fade and, at the 35 km point, the two
Asian runners seized the initiative. Although Ichihashi seemed the most composed, her
running style more economical than the North Korean, it was Yong who made the decisive
break just 2 km away from the stadium. Simon overtook Roba - who did not finish in Athens
two years ago - to take the bronze.

Yong's time of 2:26:59 improved her
personal best by almost four minutes, impressive as the heat was climbing in the latter
part of the race. "I may be a new marathon runner in the eyes of the rest of the
world but hopefully they will know me now." The North-Korean also admitted that she
gained strength by thinking about her country's leader Kim Jong II. "This was the
real source of my power." Japan won the team gold.

A double Olympic gold medallist , Svetlana
Masterkova had never won a World Championship title until tonight. But boosted by a crowd
who treated the Alicante based Russian like an honorary-Spaniard, she out-thought and
out-kicked her rivals in an enthralling 1500m final. The early pace was made by the
experienced Violeta Beclea-Szekely with Regina Jacobs, Carla Sacramento moving into the
lead at 800 metres, reached in 2:12.89. But Masterkova was always close by and when Jacobs
made her final sprint with 150 metres to go, the Russian eased alongside then pulled away
emphatically. By the finish, she had opened up a 10 metre gap on the American, who won her
second successive world silver. Ethiopian Kutre Dulecha, who turned 21 just a week ago,
won bronze after a spirited last lap.

"I did not fear anyone," said
Masterkova after crossing the line in 3:59.54. "I was a little preoccupied, both with
my morale and my ankle because I have had many problems. I will need to have an operation
after these championships. But I am very happy now because I was disappointing in the 800m
[she won bronze]. I needed to win tonight for myself, my family and my friends in Russia
and Spain."

South Africa's Hezekial Sepeng almost
pulled off a major coup in the men's 800m, grabbing a huge lead which defending champion
and world record holder Wilson Kipketer could only claw back with the last
stride of the race. So desperate was Kipketer to pass the South African that he threw
himself at the finish line, tumbling on to the track. Shaking his head as he stood up, he
broke into a smile when he realised that he had won his third successive title - but by
just two hundredths of a second - 1:43.30 to 1:43.32.

The early pace had been frantic as first
Kipketer, then Japheth Kimutai, Norberto Tellez and Djaabir Said-Guerni jostled for the
lead. The bell was reached in 50.11 by Sepeng - but it was his surge at 600 metres that
almost paid off. Although the Said-Guerni reacted well, Kipketer was caught napping, and
needed to draw on all his reserves before he could haul back Sepeng right on the line.

After the race, Kipketer, a smile on his
face said: "Okay, maybe it didn't look like it on television but I knew I was going
to catch Sepeng. I just didn't know if I was going to do it before the finish!"

Said-Guerni, who improved the Algerian
record to 1:44.18, is just 21 years-old.

The men's sprint relay final was a classic, with Maurice Greene and
Britain's Dwain Chambers having a terrific duel down the final straight, roared on by the
52,000 spectators. Although Chambers matched Greene stride for stride for 80 metres, he
then began to tighten and the American was able to win his third gold. The US clocked
37.59 with Britain setting a new European record of 37.73.

The battle for silver was also hard fought
between Nigeria and Brazil. Deji Aliu was able to overtake Andre Da Silva on the final
leg, both teams breaking Area records - with 37.91 and 38.05 respectively. In depth, it
was the best world championship final ever.

In the women's final much had been expected
of a US team containing Gail Devers and Inger Miller, but it was the Bahamas who proved
the class act this evening in the women's 4x100. Superb performances and changeovers by
Sevatheda Fynes, Chandra Sturrup, Pauline Davis - making her seventh consecutive
appearance at these championships - and Debbie Ferguson brought the Caribbean nation its
first relay gold in 41.92. France, anchored by Christine Arron, had also been well-trained
and took silver with 42.06 just ahead of Jamaica who clocked 42.15. The Americans, whose
changeovers were poor, finished a dejected fourth.

Javelin throwers usually try to make a
mighty effort early on to put pressure on their rivals. Greece's Kostas Gatsioudis almost
won the final with his first throw (and only the second of the competition) which soared
out to land tantalisingly close to the 90 metre line. When it was measured - the mark of
89.18 flashed up - and the world's top javelin throwers faced a colossal challenge.

The legendary Jan Zelezny - recently back
from serious injury - made two efforts (83.60 and 87.67) - then fouled three times before
withdrawing from the competition. Last year's European champion Steve Backley - suffering
with an injured knee - could only achieve 83.84. The Russian Sergey Makarov - who many had
tipped for gold - fared even worse with a best effort of 83.20.

With Gatsioudis seemingly destined for
glory, Finland's Aki Parvianen stepped up for his penultimate throw. With a mighty bellow
he sent the javelin soaring high. As it struck the ground, the crowd roared its approval -
89.52. A Finn would now be on top of the podium for the first time since 1991. Zelezny won
the bronze.

The effect of nerves on top level
performers can never be underestimated, which is what makes championship athletics so
unpredictable and fascinating. In the women's high jump final, only three different marks
were actually recorded. Five athletes cleared 1.93, four cleared 1.96 and three 1.99! When
the bar was raised to 2.03, only Ukraine's Inga Babakova, and the Russians Yelena Yelesina
and Svetlana Lapina remained in the contest, but none could clear the height. Babakova won
gold because she had cleared 1.99 first time. Yelesina had needed two attempts and Lapina
three, which meant silver and bronze respectively. The Ukrainian had the coolest head
tonight, needing just one jump to clear each height.

The
men's 4x400m - the last track event of these championships - gave the Seville crowd the
chance to enjoy another 43 seconds of world record breaker Michael Johnson. With the
Britons making a shock exit in qualifying, only Poland could provide any kind of challenge
to the mighty Americans. Yet after a superb third leg by 400m hurdler Angelo Taylor,
Poland were 15 metres adrift and, by the time Johnson had completed his lap, that gap had
doubled. The US clocked 2:56.45 for gold with Poland recording 2:58.91 and Jamaica winning
bronze with 2:59.34.

The women's long relay proved a more
dramatic race, with Russia, who broke the world record at the World Indoor Championships
in Maebashi this winter, having a titanic struggle with the USA. The Americans held the
early advantage but Olga Kotlyarova put the Russians into the lead just before the final
changeover. Chased hard by Jearl-Miles Clark, Natalya Nazarova held her nerve as the
American and Germany's Grit Breuer began to attack down the home straight. With 50 metres
left, Breuer seemed to clip Miles-Clarke's heel, and neither athlete could then find the
extra gear to go past Nazarova. She crossed the line to stop the clock at 3:21.98. The USA
came home in 3:22.09 with Germany - the defending champions - third in 3:22.43.

The climax of this superb championships came
when the King of Spain King Juan Carlos, congratulated the four Spanish athletes who had
won medals here over the last nine days. He had earlier presented cups to the winning
teams in the marathon races. Yet again, the Seville spectators showed that sport is a
fabulous excuse for raucous celebration.